krantz



H. F. KRANTZ.

MULTIPLE UNIT SAFETY SWITCHBOARD.

APPLICATION-FILED DEC. 26. T911.

1,324,161. Pmemed De. 9,1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

T T m i T *f T T INVENTOR gf', "Lia/y a ATTQRNEY II. F. KRANTZ,

MULTIPLE UNIT SAFETY SWITCHBOARD.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26.1917.

Patented De. 9, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A w INVENTOR f5/ YY.' 344W #fav Y H. FI KRANTZ.

MULTIPLE UNIT SAFETY SWITCHBOARD.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26, I9I7.

1,324,161. Patented Deo. 9,19I9.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4. /3

"UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

HUBERT F. KRAN TZ, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORTO KRANTZ"MANUFACTIIIR ING COMPANY, IN C., 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION 0F YORK.

MULTIPLE-UN IT SAFETY-SWITCHBOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 9, wie.

Application fea December 26, 1917. serial No. 208,799.

l No. 184,011 filed August 2, 1917.

The `object of the present improvement/is to provide a structure in which the several units, which are independently removable,

' each comprise a substantially closed container within which certain parts of the mechanism may be heldl and protected at all times even after the unit is detached from the board.

A further object is to provide the detachable units with covers or doors formed y referred to a-s the board structure, and the as parts thereof and said doors Ibeing adapted when the unit-s are assembled with the board collectively to constitute a protecting wall at the rear of the board.

A further object is to construct the detachable switch units each as a closed container and to provide opposite side walls of each container with extensions adapted to constitute supporting means for mechanisms eXteriorly of the containers, which mechanisms may coperate with parts of tion the board structure when the units are assembled with the board.

`A further object is to provide an improved form of support comprised in the 4 board structure for ldetachably supporting.

the several'switch units;

Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less specific than those referred to above, will be in part obvious and in part pointe-d out in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of principles, constituting the invention; and the scope of protection contemplated will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as a part of this specification, and in which I have shown merely a preferred form of embodiment of the inven- Figure 1 is a perspective View illustrating a switch board constructed in accordance with this invention and showing one of the switch units detached and in'position Ato be connectedwith the board. l

Fig. '2 is a rear elevational view of a portion of the board enlarged and showing one of the switch units attached, the cover of the switch unit being omitted for the sake of clearness.

F ig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane of line III of Fig. 2. .l

Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane of line IV of Fig. 3, and i Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view, on a reduced scale, illustrating one of the complete switch units.

Referring to the drawings for describing in detail thestructure which is illustrated therein, the reference character L indicates that portion of the device which is herein reference character G indicates what is hereinreferred to as one of the removable switch units, of which there may be as many `as desired.

r1`he board structure #includes the base plate 1 and the two branch line wire channels 2 spaced apart onel atJ each .of the vertical edges of the base plate l. Extending horizontally between the inner wall members 3 of the branch line wire channels is arranged a plurality of cross members or shelves 4. These are spaced apart and serve ask the means for attaching the switch units.

The cross members are preferably identical in 4construction and method of attach- :ment and each is made up of a pair of angle-irons 5` and `6 connected together and to a shelf plate 7. The opposite ends of the angle-irons are connected with the walls 3 preferably by brackets 8 and rivets 9 and the opposite ends of the shelf plate are connected to the wall members 3 by having downturned Hanges 10 thereon fixed by rivets 11. The rear longitudinal edge portion -of theshelf plate 7 is fixed between the angle-irons by rivets 12 so as thus to effectually reinforce the angle-irons especially.

any tendency. to bend in a vertical lane. The rearward longitudinal portion o each "t base plate is inclined downwardly and terminates in a plane somewhat inside ofthe plane of the outer or-rear wall -13 of the channels 2. X l

The switch units G are each substantially identical in size'and construction, and each comprises a front wall member H, adJack.

s wall member-14, .opposite side wall mem- J The top the top and boa bottom wall members.

-The rear-wall member 14 is pivotally sup-l ported by the hinges 22 to the rearward edgev of the'side wall member 15 and constitutes a door which may be opened or closed for controlling access to the container. It 1s rovided with a spring catch 23 for engaging the opposite side wall member 16. A

'flange 24 at the free edge of the door is adapted to lap over the forward edge of the wall member 16 when the door is closed. Top and bottom ianges 25 and 2 6 are also provided for .stiiening the door and for bridging the space between the main vplane of the door and the rear edge of the wall members 17 and 18.

"The'bottom wall member 18 is preferably inclined to correspond to the inclination of the shelf plates 7 and the object is first to stiften the structure and second to prohibit the laying down of tools or other devices which might objectionably affect the contents of the container. W

All of the wall members are of sheet metal exceptin the front wall member H and this is pre erably of insulating material such as slate or the like so that it is better adapted for the attachment of current carrying parts of the switch mechanism.

Here it should be noted vthat although the present invention is particularly adapted for use in connection with such a switch mechanism as is shown and described in my co-pending application above referred to, nevertheless it is obvious that other types of electrical devices may readily be employed and that any part or parts "of said devices which are mounted1 on the inner face of the wall member H are entirely concealed and protected whenever the door is closed.

In order to accommodate the type of switch mechanism shown in the pending application above referred to the side wall members 15 and 16 are formed with forward extensions 27, reinforced by strengthening with 'the sidev wallmembers p 19 thereon to which the 3 of the wire channels of course being also provided with openings, Aas 33, to register with the openings 32.

As a simple means for attaching the units, the angle-irons 5 and 6 are eac provided ,with threaded apertures 34 therein arranged in pairs and dlsposed to register with apertures formed through the front wall member H of the respective switch units so that screws, as 35, inserted through the apertures in the wall H engage within the apertures 34. The screws also extend through apertures formed inthe anges 21 of the top and bottom wall members 17 and 18.

The cross members 0r shelves 4 define a plurality of superposed compartments -between the wire channels 2 and each of these compartments 4is adapted to receive two switch units arranged side by side so that each switch unit has its outer side wall member 15 lying adjacent to one of the walls 3 of the wire channels. Branch line wires may thus be easily threaded through its mating apertures 32 and 33 in to all of the containers. i

In the Structure illustrated the base plate 1 carries bus bars 36 at its rear face. lIt will be noted that where switch mechanism carried by the switch units is adapted to cooperate with these bus bars, the fixed position of the angle-irons 5 and 6 with relation tothe bus bars positively determines the position of the switch units, and -hence of the switch mechanismby the simple act of attaching the switch units to the angle-irons.

Referrin to Fig. 5,.it will be noted that the front p ate H carries fuse or like parts 37 upon'its inner face and switch contact parts 38 upon its outer face arranged to be engaged by the blades 39 which are held by the carrier 41, said carrier being rotatablymounted by means of the extensions 27 from the side walls 15 and 16 of thecontainer. The operating mechanism, as 41, for the carrier 40 is partly arranged within the container and includes a control link 42 extending into connection with the door, as

at 43. The parts 37 and 38 are electrically 1 i ,eaaiei '38- with the bus bars at will. A link 45 also the face plate 1 of t e switch board and to` be o erated by a handle 46 mounted in a brac et at the front face of the base plate. As many changes could be made in this construction without departing from the scopeof the invention as defined in the followin claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the' accompanying drawings shall :be 1nterpreted asi-illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. ,i

Having thus described my invention., what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letter's Patent is: In a structure of the class described, a

` base plate, means carried by the base plate comprising a wire channel, a switch or the like eontaine,`means supporting said container adjacent the wirechannel, and said container and said wire channel having mating openins through adjacent walls thereof through w ich openings wires may extend from the channel into the. container.

2. In a structure of the classdescribed, a base plate, means carried by the base plate providing a pair of wire channels spaced apart and extending` side by side along one face of the base plate, a plurality of shelf members extending between said wire channels and being fixed to the walls thereof, said shelf members being spaced apart along the length of the wire channels so as to define a plurality of compartments longitudinally between the wire channels, a pairoi switch or the likecontainers arranged side by side within one of said compartments, means connecting said containers with the adjacent shelves, each of said containers having one of its side walls disposed ad] acent to a wall of one of said wire channels rer 'spectively, and the adjacent walls of thecontainers and wire channels having mating openings therethrough through which wires may Iextend from the wire channels into the y containers.

3; In a structure of the class described, a base plate, means carried'by the base plate comprising` a pair of wire channels spaced apart and extending side by side along one face of thebase plate, thosewalls of the two Awire channels which arev farthest spacedfrom the base plate being disposed in a com- .inon plane substantially parallel with the mentioned face of the base plate, wire channels serving to define a partially inclosed space at said mentioned facev of the base board, a plurality of independently formed and independently removable switch or the like containers arranged ,within said space,

- each of said containers having a door provided as one wall thereof and being removable therewith, and the doors of the several having an inde )endently opeiiable door atl one side 'thereo and sup outing means carried by the base plate w ereby to support all of said containers from vthe base plate.

5.` In a structure of the class described, a

lbase plate, a. plurality of shelves arranged to define coinpaitiiients at one side of the base plate adapted to receive switch or the like mechanisms, eaclrof said shelves comprising a substantially horizontally disposed shelic plate, .and means providing a pair of vertically disposed flanges extending above and below the shelf plate whereby to stiften the shelf plate and serve as attaching means for said mentioned mechanisms.

6. In a structure of the class described, a base plate, a plurality of shelves arranged to define coiripaiftments at one side of the Ibase plate adapted "to receive switclilor the like'mechanisms, each of said shelves comprising a substantially horizontally disposed shelf plate, and a pair of angle irons extending longitudinally of the shelf plate being fixed each by one of its flanges to the marginal portion of the shelf plate one at the up er surface and one at the lower surface of) the shelf plate, one having its second iange extending vertically abo-ve the shelf plate and the other having its second flange extending vertically below the shelf plate, so as .to reinforce the shelf plate and sothat the second flanges of said angle irons constitute attaching means for said mentioned mechanisms.

'l'. In .a structure 'of the class described, a base plate, a plurality of independently' formed switch or the like container units each consisting of top, bottom and side Walls and each having an independently openable door for giving access thereinto, and supporting means carried by the base plate whereby to detachfabiy support all of said container units from the base plate.

8, ln a structure ofthe class described, a base plate, a plurality of independently formed switch. or the like container units each consisting of top, bottom and side wialls and each havin an independently openable door for giving access thereinto, a plurality of substantially horizontally disposed" shelves carried by the base plate, and means whereby to detachably connect said container units to and between said shelves.

9. In a structure of the class` described, a base plate, a plurality of independently formed switch or the like container units each consisting of top, bottoni and side walls and each having an independently openable door for giving access thereinto, means forming wire channels s aced apart upon one surface of the Ebase p ate, shelves extending between and supported by said wire channel formin means, and means for detacliably lconnecting said container units to said shelves. n

10. In a structure of 'the class described, a base plate, a plurality of independently formed switch or the like container units each consisting f top, bottom and side walls and/each having an independently openable door for givin r access thereinto, a pluralit /of substantial y horizontally disposed s elves carried by the base board at one side thereof, la bus bar extending along the same side of the base board between the,

same and said shelves, means detaehably connecting the container units to said shelves of ia. character to hold 'the container units vspaced from the mentioned side of the base board, and certain ofthe -walls of each container unit having extending portions pro- HUBERT F. KRANTZ. Witnesses:

JOHN L. Konim, C. S. DORAN. 

